As it is getting increasingly clearer in all the exit polls that the Congress party and the opposition will have to be content with a ‘Moral Victory’ in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the liberals on social media are incapable of hiding their frustration and despondency over the poll results. As the numbers started to trickle in, suggesting PM Modi’s re-election as Prime Minister, many liberals couldn’t stop themselves from having a meltdown on Twitter.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah who appeared taken aback by the results from all the exit polls. Abdullah was so dismayed by the exit poll results that he tweeted that it is time to switch off the TV and log out of social media and wait for May 23 to confirm his perhaps worst fears turning true.
Another usual suspect, Barkha Dutt, who has often written disparaging articles about the BJP and PM Modi in the international dailies, downplayed PM Modi’ charisma by pinning the blame of the dismal performance of the opposition on the lack of their national ‘leadership’.
Hartosh Singh Bal, known for being sharply critical of the Modi government had already blamed the Congress party for putting up a miserable fight against the robust BJP election machinery. Slamming Congress, Bal said that the regional parties have done a better job than the national party.
According to controversial journalist Rana Ayyub, the opposition’s move to rake up purported agrarian distress didn’t cut ice with the voters as they continued to repose their faith in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.
One of the founders of the Wire, Sidharth Bhatia, who was also accused of molestation during the raging #MeToo movement, discredited the exit polls altogether, contending that they have no objectivity and are only used to provide fodder to news outlets to help them in keeping their viewers entertained.
Another Wire founder, MK Venu, was quick to highlight the silver lining in the cloud. Venu cited ABP’s exit poll which still stated that NDA might be 6 short of the 272 figure to form the government.
Despite the abysmal performance from Congress in all exit polls, some journalists such as Madhavan Narayanan were still upbeat about the prospects of the opposition government at the centre. Going against the tide, Madhavan predicted that NDA tally would be close to 210 to 235 while the exit polls are showing close to 300.
From being a passionate BJP supporter to being one of its trenchant critiques, Rupa Subramanya was gobsmacked that the purported failures of the Modi government on the economic front had no effect on the voters voting for the BJP.
While some were indirect in dismissing the exit polls, Sanjay Hegde was direct in rubbishing the exit polls. Perhaps, he foresaw the exit polls in advance.
Congress sympathiser Ashok Swain was also seen visibly rattled by PM Modi’s re-election as PM. Casting aspersions on Modi’s Kedarnath visit, Swain alleged that it was all staged.
Deflated by the exit poll results, many opposition party leaders took a dim view of the predictions and refused to comment on them. They said they’d rather comment on the May 23.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was perhaps apprised of the unpleasant performance by Congress in exit poll beforehand. Possibly, this is why Chidambaram was found venting his spleen on the Election Commission, asserting that it has “surrendered” its independence and authority.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee seemed visibly irate at the exit poll numbers. She summarily rejected the “poll gossip”, making an outrageous claim that it is a “game plan” to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs.
In 2014 too, Liberals had an epic meltdown after the exit polls then had predicted that the BJP will be sweeping the Lok Sabha 2014 polls and that Narendra Modi is well placed to become the country’s new Prime Minister.
Realising that the numbers have not been particularly impressive for the opposition front, the National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in 2014 had stated that exit polls are time pass and that they are disconnected with the reality.
Known for her appalling brand of journalism, Sagarika Ghose was expecting on the results day in 2014 that the actual count of seats to the opposition would defy what the exit polls have been predicting. In a few hours since then, she was apparently proven wrong.
Reacting to the exit polls which had suggested gloomy numbers for the AAP party in Delhi, journalist Harinder Baweja rubbished the polls stating she’d wait for the actual results. However, as per the results, all the 7 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in 2014 were bagged by the BJP.
Journalist and former AAP leader Krishan Partap Singh, who claimed that he’d walk naked on Rajpath if Modi became PM had dismissed the exit polls in 2014 that suggested bleak numbers for AAP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Singh had a glimmer of optimism that the actual results would defy the polls, but it never happened.
Sensing the exit poll has been predicting an ignominious defeat for his allegedly preferred party, Chandra endorsed restrain from delving into the numbers citing the two exit polls of 2004 and 2009 that went wrong.
In all, Prime Minister Modi is set to come back with a thumping majority yet again if the Exit polls are to be believed. This mandate would be a victory for the BJP despite the constant negative media campaigning by the very people are caught whining today.
